Many people may wonder about reaching the end of their life and what they may experience during that time. Sometimes, it’s best to hear from those who experience it regularly.
Katie Duncan is a nurse practitioner from Maryland who has also labeled herself as a ‘death care coach’. For years, she has been helping people maintain their dignity and find peace as their lives come to an end.
Over the years, Katie has gained her experience by working in intensive care units, long-term care facilities, and home hospices. Through it all, she’s found a pattern that is both touching and undeniable.
Katie describes a pattern in a recent TikTok video, saying that it is one of the ‘mystical’ events that occurs as a person is dying. Many patients at that time start to reach upward, almost as if they were reaching for something above them that is unseen.
She said: “In my experience, it’s very common. You’ll literally see someone reach up, like they’re trying to hold someone’s hand or touch something in the air.”
She also says that some people have end-of-life hallucinations, saying: “People often say they’re seeing someone, a loved one, a pet, even an angel or a bright light. Other times, they don’t speak at all, but still reach up, as if sensing a presence.”
As far as science is concerned, there is no reason why this phenomenon would take place. Many people who work in palliative care feel that it is peaceful and just part of the transition.
Katie said that most patients who do this do not seem to be in distress. She said: “If anything, they seem comforted. These visions, whatever their origin, often bring people a deep sense of calm.”
She continued: “It’s one of the more mysterious aspects of death that we’re lucky enough to witness as caregivers. It’s humbling.”
